Army veteran KP Dhal Samata dies

Veteran Army officer Lt Gen

(retd) K P Dhal Samanta, who had played a valiant role in 1971 and Kargil wars, died at a hospital in New Delhi on Monday following a prolonged illness. He was 70.

Samanta, who hailed from Odisha, was undergoing treatment in a private hospital in the national capital, breathed his last on Monday, family sources said.

One of the most illustrious military generals that Odisha has produced, he is survived by wife and a son.

A host of dignitaries including Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Petroleum and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan mourned the demise of the former Army officer, who was very proud of his Odia legacy.

 

"Odisha mourns the loss of one of its most illustrious sons, Lt Gen (retd) KP Dhal Samanta. He was a veteran of 1971 War, Op Blue Star, Siachen & Kargil War. A proud alumnus of Sainik School, BBSR retired as DG of Rashtriya Rifles Indias main counter insurgency force in J&K," Patnaik tweeted.

Pradhan said on twitter: "Pained to learn about the demise of retd. Lt Gen KPD Samanta. A proud proponent of Odisha, its culture and values within the Armed Forces, Shri Samanta was one of the finest military generals that Odisha has produced. A veteran of military operations, his death is a huge loss."

BJP national vice president Baijayanta Panda also expressed grief and conveyed condolences to the family of Dhal Samanta. "Very saddened to hear of the passing of Lt Gen KP Dhal Samanta. After a distinguished career, he continued to be active in society & was a passionate, reasonable & principled voice for the good of India," Panda said on twitter.

Many others including Odisha ministers, academicians, researchers and defence analysts also expressed deep grief over the demise of Lt Gen Samanta and said his death was a big loss for the country.

A product of the first batch of Sainik School Bhubaneswar, Lt Gen Samanta had retired as Director General of the Rashtriya Rifles, Indias premier counter insurgency force deployed in Kashmir.

Commissioned at the young age of 19 to the Regiment of Artillery, Gen Samanta fought in the 1971 war on the eastern front and was awarded the Poorvi Star. He was among the veterans invited regularly to Bangladesh as a mark of honour for their valiant efforts in the liberation of Bangladesh.

Later in his career, he participated in Operation Blue Star and the larger fight against terrorism in Punjab. He then went on to command an artillery regiment in the worlds highest battlefield the Siachen Glacier.

During the 1999 Kargil war, Samanta was instrumental in helping deploy the 155 mm Bofors guns in difficult conditions. The act tilted the course of the war in Indias favour.

Gen Samanta earned a considerable reputation in roles involving aid to civil authority. As Sub Area Commander of Bihar, Jharkhand & Odisha, he contributed immensely in providing aid during various disasters and formulating policies on disaster management besides managing military assets in the three states.

In his last military assignment as DG Rashtriya Rifles (2007-2010), he was instrumental in leading, managing and modernizing the then 92,000-strong counter-insurgency force. On retirement, he was made Member of the then newly created Armed Forces Tribunal in Kolkata before setting down in Bhubaneswar 2014 onwards.

Besides this, Gen. Samanta was a specialist in Group Behavioural Science and a trained Interviewing Officer. He remained associated with the Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR) on related issues besides being in the expert panel with the UPSC.